


A Scene of Trees and Waves

by ShadowyDawn



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Historical Appearance, Historical References, M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmate Necklace AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 11:19:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17959499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowyDawn/pseuds/ShadowyDawn
Summary: In a world where people are tied to a soulmate through a pendant around their neck, and a bond like no other.  It’s only a matter of time before someone would meet their soulmate.  Everyone except Alexander, who’s soulmate seems to want nothing to do with him.  Alexander so far, has lived a life of disaster, and he’s prepared for the worst when he gets to college.  What he didn’t expected, was to be unexplainably attractive to another man in his class.Jamilton is the main ship but Laurette is also a big ship in this.





	A Scene of Trees and Waves

**Author's Note:**

> Pleas note that all the characters look like they do from history. So bare with the gingers. Because everyone was one apparently.

“John?”

 

A man perked his head up, smooth single strands of blonde hair covering a slight part of his eye.  His eyes sharp with intelligence, like the color of the early morning sky, baby blue with pale green highlights.

 

“Yeah, Alex?”

 

The other man next to John bled into the sunset as they sat upon a hill’s peak.  Vibrant auburn curls tucked back into a ponytail, seeming to course with the colors of a bloody hellfire as he moved around.  Alexander’s eyes parallel John’s. While John held the sunrise in his eyes, Alexander held the Twilight beauty in his, dark shades of violet and navy clashing with turquoise hues that came with the coming night.

 

“Have you ever wondered what your soulmate will be like?”

 

There was a pause between the two, a soft wind brushed against them as the last of the sun’s rays fell below the horizon.  John shifted slightly, subconsciously running his hand across the chain on his neck. He pulled out his pendant, staring at it with an intensity unlike no other.

 

“I imagine they’ll be foreign, someone who holds a sense of dignity, and someone who I can connect with.  Like I want someone who, before we even know we’re soulmates, I can imagine being with for the rest of my life.  There would be this bond as if they’re everything I’m not, and we would complete each other. What about you Lex?  Have you ever wondered what your soulmate would be like?”

 

Alex snapped out of his haze, a soft smile forming on his lips.  His hand drifted to grip his own pendant, yet kept it under his shirt.

 

“Yeah, I have, a lot actually.  Their personality, their voice, their everything.  I think they’re someone just as commanding as I am, someone who can match my wit and ambition.  Someone, who no matter what happens between us, will always find their way back to me, an would find my way back them.  Someone who, when we finally know it’s each other, will hold me in their arms and complete me, as you said.”

 

John eyed the way Alex held his pendant.  That pendant who he always hid away behind layers of clothing, and was his only way to knowing who his soulmate was.  Alex and John lived in a world where the moment they were born, a pendant formed around their neck. That necklace piece was one of two, half of a unique shape, the other half was bestowed to their soulmates.  It was more than just fancy jewelry, it was a lifeline. The shape, whatever it may be, was a link to their soulmate, and it glowed whenever their soulmate was thinking of them. The pendant would heat up or cool down if their soulmate was near.  Some people, like Alexander, kept theirs hidden, even John, Alex’s closes friend, hadn’t even seen his pendant. Other people like John, didn’t care if someone saw theirs.

 

“Hey Alex, I heard if you’re close enough to your soulmate, like 30 miles or so, you can talk through your pendant.  Do you think it’s true?”

 

Alex let go of his necklace, staring into the dark night sky.  He imagined what it would be like to hear his soulmate’s voice, whether it would be smooth or rough, deep or high pitched.  Hell, he didn’t even know the gender of his soulmate, so there was no real knowing what side of the spectrum of vocal patterns he would be dealing with.

 

“Yeah, I’ve heard of it.  Had a friend who said the first words they ever heard where the lyrics of a song, Count on Me by Bruno Mars.  Sly as hell when you think about that as your pickup line for your soulmate.”

 

Both men chuckled, even in silence, their minds still were ablaze.  Once again John’s eyes met with the small uplift in clothing on Alex’s shirt.  What was his pendant like?

 

“Alex?”

 

“Yeah John?”

 

“What’s your pendant like?”

 

Alex stopped himself before he said anything, he had spent so long keeping it to himself.  After all, it was a part of his soul, the only thing connecting him to the person who was perfect for him.  He was apprehensive, not entirely willing to share, his voice quaked ever so slightly as he spoke.

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

John pulled his out, trying to ease the awkwardness of the conversation.  He lightly thumbed the groves of his jagged yellow shard. A pale yellow color colored the pendant, reminding Alex of what the sun looked like under a sheet of clouds, how it was a pure white, with the slightest hints of yellow.  Cutting and curving like a bolt of lightning, with the same spot on the bottom, where it seemed like it would click into something. His soulmate’s pendant.

 

“Alex, we’ve been friends since we were four, and now, we’re heading off to college.  We leave tomorrow, and I felt...it would be about time that you’d share it with someone.  I know you’re not my soulmate, so what harm could be done?”

 

Alex gripped his necklace slightly, John was right, he had kept it away from everyone for the longest time, he hid it from anyone.  And for the longest time, he’d just believed that it wasn’t time to look for his soulmate. But now, he was moving away from his hometown, starting a new life elsewhere.  It was only fair that now he started to share his interest in his soulmate.

 

“What harm could be done, right?”

 

John nodded, and with a deep breath, Alex took off his necklace and held the pendant in his hands.  In Alexander’s hands sat a cool silver disc, it was perfectly round, not a dent or scratch in sight.  It was engraved at the bottom, a faint scene of waves crashing into each other deep at sea. The shading done was all in the groves and the cuts made into the metal, which shone of cool blue, platinum hue.  At the top was the engravings of a vast forest, oaks, aspens, birches, and more all seemed to cradle around a field of grass, in the back sat rolling hills with more of those vast trees. Even on such a small canvas, the metal was carved ever so slightly, so that the image was perfectly clear.  In the middle sat a large rugged hole, one that would fit his soulmates pendant. Around the carved out middle was a Celtic knot which seemed to frame where his soulmate’s pendant would fall perfectly. It was larger than most pendants, being just barely larger than the palm of Alex’s hand. Like all necklaces, there was a spot at the top where a chain would go through so that the pendant would be able to be worn daily.  Alexander had seemed to polish it to perfection, for each groove, cut, and the clean surface was like glass, showing a reflection and showing the beauty of the pendant.

 

“Alexander… it’s beautiful.”

 

John was awestruck by the complexity of Alexander’s soulmate pendant.  It was unlike anything he had seen. Most were just random shapes that would connect to something else, but Alexander’s painted a vivid scene.  There was so much detail that it was impossible to notice everything on the first viewing. Glancing at it one last time, Alex slipped it back around his neck and hid away the silver disc once more.

 

“It’s really nothing special.  Just a slab of metal with some carvings.”

 

John put his pendant away, and from the corner of Alexander’s eye, he could see his pendant glow a faint pale yellow.

 

“No, it is special Alexander.  And I think it means that your soulmate’s going to be someone very special.”

 

Alexander sighed, noting the feeling of the weight the pendant left on his chest.

 

“How often does your pendant glow?”

 

John turned to Alexander, Lex usually never talked about his soulmate, it just wasn’t a conversation he brought up.  Yet today, the last day of the summer that Alex would spend with John and his family, was the day he asked everything he could.

 

“It changed over the years, from as early as I can remember, it was only like once a month, but ever since I was in high school, it started glowing constantly, at least once a day.  Why?”

 

There was a still silence between them, after a moment, Alex finally spoke.

 

“My pendant’s only glowed twice.  Once when I was a kid, the other on a night just like this.  I was sitting here, watching the stars, and suddenly for the first time in years, a pale blue hue came from my shirt.  I tried to pull my necklace out, but by the time I had, the glow stopped. That was three years ago.”

 

John stood still, moving Alex into a hug as he spoke.

 

“Lex, I never knew, I’m so sorry.”

 

It was often thought that the more times a pendant glowed, the more a soulmate wanted to know and love their partner.  The fact that Alexander’s only glowed twice, meant that not even a passing thought was given to Alexander. Whoever his soulmate was, they certainly didn’t care about him right now.

 

“It’s fine.  Now, let’s get back to what we were doing.  Final night in South Carolina, let’s do what we love while we still can.”

 

John swept his blonde hair back as he looked at Alex, smiling and nodding in agreement.

 

Alex fell backward, his hands running through his hair as he watched for shooting stars.  One, going northeast. Another, going south west. A third, traveling straight west towards the now absent sun.  Each one he wished upon, each with a different meaning. The first was that he would meet his soulmate sooner, rather than later.  The second was that when they were close enough, they would be able to talk to each other. The third, was for his life to finally start again at college.  For his past to be washed away like the coming of the tide to his island home he had spent hours watching. Just then he could finally let go of the breath he’s been holding for eighteen years.  

 

**_—•—_ **

 

“The room’s bigger than I expected.”

 

Thomas set his bags down, taking in his surroundings.  The room was small but reasonable, a large square area with areas for two twin beds and two desks.  There was a door to a bathroom which another dorm shared with them. He expected that since Lafayette lived in that dorm, Laf would want for him to meet the neighbor.

 

“It really is Thomas, much different than the French quarters.  But, Thomas, are you sure you want to do this? Leaving your life behind like this?”

 

Thomas stood there, admiring the area around him.  It wasn’t his family’s Virginian manor, but quite honestly, he was glad.  He didn’t want to live his life with a silver spoon shoved down his throat.  As soon as he could, he left to college, hoping to escape his life and his parents' expectations for him.  He couldn’t live a life where his hand was forced, where it seemed he couldn’t even breathe unless his family allowed it.  No, he wanted to be free of that life, use his family name to get him to the first place, then use his ambition to climb higher.  

 

“Yeah Lafayette, it’ll be good to exercise some freedom.  I already left them, what would I do if I didn’t want to be here?  Go back?”

 

Thomas’s hand drifted to the pendant that hung around his neck.  He chuckled at the new weight, it had been so long since he had it around his neck.  The raw, uncut blue diamond hung against his neck, shimmering like aquamarine coastline of France’s La Côte d'Azur.  It was large, almond-shaped, about the size of a quarter in length. The diamond had a rough surface, almost mountain-like edges had soft ridges, deep valleys, and low plains.  Even with the sharp cuts, the diamond was as clear as day, causing the light that passed through it to refract in a splendid rainbow fashion. The other side of the diamond was a stark contrast of the mountainous side of his pendant.  It was the smoothest surface he had ever felt, feeling we're the diamond would click into place with his soulmates, making a seamless flush surface. It had been years since he had seen his pendant, and so, he had completely forgotten about the object frozen in place inside the crystal.  Thomas’s eyes fell upon the silver hibiscus flower that was perfectly frozen at the height of its bloom, eternally beautiful. The only thing more beautiful than his pendant was the pale navy blue glow that it emitted whenever his soulmate thought of him. There was something about that color that made Thomas think that everything was going to be alright.  That was until the pendant was ripped off his neck and locked away for all his teenage years.

 

“Thomas?”

 

The Virginian snapped his eyes off the pendant, staring into Lafayette’s.  Thomas’s eyes had a soft hazel brown ring around his pupil, and a ring that melted into a navy, sky blue ring.  The two rings were blended together with a cool grey band. His hair was tucked in a low ponytail, letting his straight orange hair sag around his ears.  He had a scruffy chin with orange stubble, only really noticeable in the light. Thomas was tall as well, standing at a hefty 6’ 2”, he was one of the tallest in his family, and even in his new New York college scene, he was still tall.  He was in the middle of staring at his pendant when Lafayette called his name, taking him out of his trance.

 

“Oh, yeah, Laf?”

 

The Frenchmen chuckled, his broad shoulders making his gray hair bounce.  Even though he was born with natural red auburn hair, Laf made it important to dye his hair a platinum blonde.  He kept it relatively short compared to Thomas’s having it stopped at neck and curling around his ears.

 

“I asked if this was good for you?  Leaving Martha, your family. Leaving the month before your marriage.  Is that even a good idea?”

 

Thomas quickly stood up, even though he only stood two inches than Lafayette, his noble build made him a menacing figure.

 

“Anything is better than that hell Lafayette.  Anything. Do you know what it’s like? To know ever since you were a child, that you would never meet your soulmate.  That you would be married to someone who didn’t care about your feelings but was just as much of a pawn as you were. Do you?  I do. I know what it’s like to be holding my pendant, and thinking of my soulmate, praying to God that I might find them someday, only to have my father come in the room, rip it from your neck and then verbally start backhanding you for disrespecting the family name?.... Lafayette, I couldn’t live another day with a piece of my soul locked away with that pendant.  I couldn’t live when the girl I was supposed to marry made me swear that I would focus all of my attention on her, and never think of my own soulmate. It’s bad enough I had to leave so soon. Don’t make me regret the choices I’ve made for my own life. That marriage was not my choice, Martha was a nice girl, I left her a large portion of the wedding funds so she could pick herself back up again.  But Laf, I can’t marry someone who isn’t my soulmate, who forces me to love her, not my soulmate.”

 

Thomas collapsed onto the bed with a heavy sigh.  Laf had been his best friend ever since he met him in elementary school on his trip to France with his family.  They were fast friends, and Thomas told him everything, including the two times he was able to escape his family, and rekindled his love for his soulmate.  Thomas’s marriage was arranged when he was five and a half, the moment that Martha was born, their parents planned marriage to join their family’s. When he learned that his soulmate’s pendant glowed when he thought hard of them, Thomas held his own, tightly, and whispered to the pendant just how much he wanted to meet his soulmates.  He had been doing it for about fifteen minutes before his father came into the room and took the pendant away from him, claiming that no man should be thinking of anyone save his fiancé, and hide away Thomas’s only connection to his soulmate away. The only other time Thomas was given enough time to think of his soulmate was on a warm summer night.  He climbed to the top of the Monticello manor, and just sat there, feeling the soft breeze and the crickets chirping in the background. Even though he didn’t have his pendant on him, Thomas knew that he just had to think about his lover. Whispering sweet nothings into the sky, Thomas made a vow that he would escape his life and find a new one with his soulmate.  A new life along a path in which they could carve out together, as eternal partners. He made the pledge to his soulmate, then left to fall asleep, the next day and every day after that, he would plan his escape from his predestined hell.

 

The Frenchmen fell to Thomas’s bed beside him, matching Thomas’s theatrics as he landed with a thud.  

 

“Yes yes, you told me already.  You told me when you were holding your pendant.  ‘Imagine that Laf! My soulmate was thinking of me the moment I needed to find my necklace, it made it easy!’  You were so happy at that moment. And to think it was only yesterday.”

 

“Well, it had to be yesterday, if I left any day later my parents might have been able to find me and track me down.  I’m an adult legally, but a puppet in their eyes. It doesn’t matter, we’re here in New York, let’s make the most of it.”

 

The two sat up and quickly got changed for the day.  The two had made it there in quick time, unpacked both of their rooms, cleaned up the shower, and were currently hanging out in Thomas’s side of the room.  Now that the first part of their set up was done, the two planned on spending the day out on the town. They had three things planned, get their schedules, get lunch, and see where their classes are.  

 

“You ready?”

 

Thomas slipped a book bag over his shoulder, combing his hair behind his ear as he did so.

 

“Yeah, let’s go.”

 

**_—•—_ **

 

“So this is the place, John.  Imagine that, our rooms are side by side with a bathroom in the middle, it’s practically the same dorm.”

 

Alex stepped into the dorm, letting his bags fall beside the unmade bed and empty desks.  His roommate had already been there and set up, and seemed to have left. His roommate was tidy, from what Alex could tell.  He had set his desk up, pens and pencils already in a cup, while a paper stacking compartment was already full with blank papers ready to be used.  On the desk lay a vase with a dozen fuchsia roses in it, at their perfect bloom. The bed was already made, with soft turquoise sheets and a sight grey comforter as the decorations.  There was a lamp, with a dark purple shader on it, which made Alexander giggle slightly.

 

“Yes I would agree, Alexander, but look at your roommate compared to mine.  Yours is organized, and mine seems to have yet to even unpack. His suitcase is unzipped and his closet is unpacked, but his bedding and work supplies are nowhere to be found.  Yet on his side of the bath is cluttered with every skin and hair products imaginable, not to mention the labels are in a different language, one that likes to add accents to everything.”

 

Even though John was in his own dorm, and they were talking through the bathroom connecting area, Alexander could practically hear John’s eye roll.  The redhead popped on into the bathroom just to see if John’s claim was right. At the sight of a bottle of a blue liquid marked “Bleu de Chanel: Eau de Parfum,” Alex knew that the roommate was French, and had great taste in cologne.  There was a small case tucked away behind a bottle of shampoo and towels. With a quick glance around the area, Alex lifted up the box, taking a glance at the odd object. It was a rough black case, smoother than silk, but the pattern was marbled with navy and black as the base and streaks of white as pure as snow as the accents.  Alexander lifted the box up to see what the contents where. When he opened it, Alexander day that there was a soft navy velvet, with an indentation in the center. It was rounded at the top, like three circles stacked partially on top of each other, leveling the bottom with an ease wave like like that wrapped around the circles. There was a sharp cut out from the wave texture, the entire thing reminded Alex of an ice-cream cone with a small cone barely wrapping the bottom, not even fully covering the swirling circles.  

 

At first, the box perplexed Alexander, but after a few moments of examining the box, Alex knew that it was the type of box, custom made to fit someone’s pendant.  Alexander was one of the few people that never took off their pendant, but most people would take them off when they showered, or in case there was a fear of losing it by sheer bad luck.  One time, he heard of a young man that went to a theme park, he left his pendant on and lost it on a ride. Thankfully he had found his soulmate already and eventually found his pendant, but the incident stirred up a lot of people, many buying the box that John’s roommate possessed.  He wanted to peer at the box more, but John was calling him to help with a heavy object, and he had his own room to unpack. Alex had unpacked everything, had his devices charging, and was riding up the place when John walked in.

 

“Hey!  I was thinking since you have class soon, you might want to go get your textbooks today.  There’s a school library and bookstore in the building next door. Hurry up your OCD pillow stacking and let’s go.”

 

John slipped his keycard into his wallet, making sure he had his license and debit card as well.  He looked at Alex and smiled sympathetically.

 

“Here, I’ll pay for a few of your books if they’re a bit expensive.  Lex, you know how my family treats you like one of our own, I’m sure they’d allow it until we can find you a job here.”

 

At this, Alex stood up quickly. He hated being any sort of burden to anyone, much less John’s family, who treated him better than anyone else did back on Nevis.  He wished he could stay in South Carolina with John forever, but the adoption process would have been too complicated at the time. So, Alex opted to spend the summers with them, and then returning to his foster home during the school years.  He never felt like he deserved John’s kindness, nor his family’s. Having them pay for whatever his scholarship didn’t cover was enough. He vowed he wouldn’t spend another one of their pennies until he had paid off in full the money that he took.

 

“No no, it’s fine John.  I can manage on my own. I still have the pocket change I earned from my summer job.  I can manage…”

 

John felt a pang of guilt strike his heart but didn’t want to hurt Alexander any more than he already had.  It was best to change the subject, or rather, finish it.

 

“Well then what are you waiting for?  Let’s go to the bookstore!”

 

Alexander chuckled, and with a nod, they were both out the door.  

 

_**—•—** _

 

“Lafayette do you know where the American History textbooks are?  I would have guessed under the History section but now I’m guessing they’re under the Government section.  What do you think?”

 

Thomas ran his hand through his hair, the ribbon he usually used to keep his hair up was coming undone, and as a result, his orange locks were coming undone, a few even falling out and lazily draping over his eyes.  He adjusted his pack, making sure it wouldn’t offset his balance too much. His hands settled on his hips, his eyes trailing the overhanging signs as he walked down the isles. Thomas’s gate was slow, he had a tendency to take in every detail, making a proper mental map of the entire building for the next time he would be here.  Whether it was where the physics books were, to the overly rusted exposed pipe in the corner, he saw it all. Lafayette had gone off to collect his books, but even without knowing where he was, the familiar French accent with ties to a southern drawl made his location easy to pinpoint in the soft murmurs of the library.

 

A quick turn on the ball of his left foot and Thomas found himself in the 900’s selection of the Government section.  When his eyes glanced around, they caught onto the only other person standing in a section, a short but strong framed blood redheaded man.  Thomas thought nothing of the occurrence and kept going, though he thought he should note the way his heart fluttered ever so slightly at the sight of the man’s small and pointed face, or the way a soft smile curled on his lips when he saw the silvery navy rimmed glasses that perfectly framed the man’s face.  Thomas cut his view short, not wanting to be rude and stare. He lightly dragged his fingers across the bookshelf shelf, collecting whatever dust was on the backs and titles of the textbooks. Yet he stopped when he felt the warm, almost soothing touch of something, or someone else. As Thomas looked up, his eyes met the redheaded stranger’s hand overlaying ever so slightly onto Thomas’s.

 

The hands were an ivory tan, with little tuffs of peach fuzz covering the back of them.  The man’s fingernails were torn to shreds, probably from a similar bad habit of biting them out of stress that Thomas had.  Taking a lookup, Thomas could see the man’s outfit. He was a bit shorter than average, roughly half a foot shorter than Thomas was, but where he lacked in height he made up for in presence.  He wore a dark silver dress shirt, one that seemed to be ever so slightly smaller than his size, for it seemed to outline the muscles on the man’s shoulders, even the slacking fabric left the idea that there was a somewhat toned body under the shirt.  Everything was buttoned up to the fullest, even the button men only did for bowties seemed to be set and locked in place.

 

The pants were a sheer black, the pressed line at his calf seemingly still in its designer store’s perfection.  He wore a grey belt, the silver buckle lining up with the zipper, making it so the sunlight from the windows caught the corner of the metal just right.  The back pockets were filled with personal items, a phone, keys, wallet, the standard. Standard black matte dress shoes matched with a complementing black book bag completed the look.  But that was just the attire, what Thomas was more focused on was the man’s face. The man could be described as many things, but in Thomas’s eyes, he was nothing if not handsome as hell.

 

His skin was stunning, not a scar, or trace of acne in sight, every possible fault Thomas could think of was absent in the man’s face.  While Thomas had a mix of brown and grey-blue eyes, the man before him had a mix of pale indigo and lilac, the purple hues almost bringing the color to a pale violet of it weren’t for the blue in the undertones.  His nose was pointed, like what someone would expect a pixie or fairy to have, but held a strong masculine structure. Pointed wasn’t the right word, if anything after a closer look, Thomas would describe his face as angular, a finely chiseled jawline met up at a slightly pointed chin, making the face more rounded than bulky.  The skin tone was ivory like color, but warmer, more golden as if the skin was sun-kissed and emitting a sandy brown hue.

 

One other thing covered his face, freckles, hundreds of the light brown pinpricks covered his face, spreading from the bridge of his nose out to the beginnings of his ears.  Ears that seemed to point ever so slightly at the top, only adding to the angled look. His smile was thin and crisp with a perplexed smirk like smile on his lips, seemingly taunting Thomas to play a game in which neither knew what.  The man’s glasses where old fashion rimmed, perfectly circular with a thin wire frame covering and connecting them. The rims shone in the light, refracting the light with a dark navy hue, like the canned photos people made of the inner cosmos.  Like Thomas, the man had red hair, but while Thomas’s hair was more the color of golden flames, this man’s was the color of the coals beneath the fire, a crimson hue that was the soul of the fire, the hottest part. The hair was a mix of wavy and curly, one part weaved in and out of gravity, then, the fiery coals began to twist and curl, creating a beautiful hairstyle.  The style was even prettier when the man had his hair tied back with a navy blue ribbon, separating the waves from the curls. Thomas could have stared for hours, but the man cleared his voice to get his attention.

 

“Might I ask why you’ve been looking at me for the past two minutes?”

 

Thomas froze, he didn’t mean to stare, he was trying at all cost to avoid the situation.  Yet the more he tried to say something, the more he seems to stutter. His mouth hung open, there were a million words he wished to say, but none seemed to come out.  Thomas was paralyzed in fear and embarrassment, and the stranger noticed.

 

“Look, don’t worry.  I didn’t mean to catch you off guard there, it’s just…No one really checks me out the way you just did.  It’s usually just a quick look followed by a disgusted stare.”

 

The break from the silence gave Thomas just enough time to recover.  But once he had, he had to face another dilemma, how was it that this stunning man had never been seen as attractive before?  Thomas cleared his throat then began.

 

“Pardon my confusion sir, but how can it be that a man as handsome as yourself is lost in this desolate world without a passing glance of awe or recognition.  The name is Thomas, Thomas Jefferson. And you are?”

 

Soft rosy patches began to form on the smaller ginger’s cheeks.  Thomas couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes darted left whenever he seems to be complemented or seemed embarrassed.  The man smiled, and Thomas chuckled as a soft reply.

 

“Hamilton.  Alexander Hamilton at your service.  And to answer your question, I have no idea of what you mean, not even my soulmate seems to care about me.  So in a way, I’ve grown to be accustomed to the solidarity.”

 

Thomas felt a pang of guilt ride through him as he recalled the harsh treatment that he gave his soulmate.  Could they be like Alexander? Believing that Thomas didn’t care for them? There wasn’t a way from him to tell them about the situation, about how much Thomas wanted to love them dearly.  Yet, seeing how Alexander reacted, he prayed that his own soulmate would understand him and love him nonetheless.

 

“I myself have not been particularly kind to my soulmate.  I was taught not to show a longing for something so far away at a young age.  But that doesn’t mean I do not care and love my soulmate dearly. I love them with all my heart, and now that I’m able to finally set my heart free, I’m going to make up for the years of silence.  Alexander, your soulmate is a wonderful person, and they could be like me… they could just be waiting until the time was right to finally speak and show that they’re ready. I love my soulmate, and I’m positive that your soulmate will love you too.”

 

At Thomas’s final remark, something spectacular happened.  It was that Alexander’s began to glow. The occasion seemed to shock the man so much he nearly jumped.  As Thomas looked closer, he could practically see the tears of Joy filling into the water line of Alexander’s eye.  After a moment, the light faded away, and Alexander held his shirt where his pendant and heart aligned. He smiled, looking down and ever so slightly to the left.  

 

“You know Thomas, I think your right.  I think my soulmate was just waiting for the right time.”

 

Alexander chuckled, but it was cut short by the blonde headed boy calling Alexander’s name from the level above.

 

“I’m sorry Thomas, I have to go.  But, I do hope I see you again, and sometime soon at that.  See you around?”

 

Alexander quickly grabbed the American Heritage 101 and Government Structure Textbooks.  He had already begun to walk away, and without knowing if Alexander heard Thomas, he whispered ever so slightly to him.

 

“See ya around Alex.”

 

And at that moment, Thomas didn’t even notice the fiery feeling that began to burn in his chest that was slowly spreading out.  That, or the slight glow of aquamarine that emitted from his glowing pendant.

 

_**—•—** _

 

“Alright John, we’re here. The Government and Law sections are on the level below, so most of my time will be spent there.  I hope you can get what you need by the time I’m done. Better yet, just call me.”

 

Alexander adjusted his glasses as he read the floor plan map of the book store.  John’s Biology and Zoology books would be on the second level, and Alexander’s were on the ground floor.  He adjusted his book bag, making sure the books would fit next to his laptop. The bookstore and the library were connected, one half was for check out only, and the other half held the parchment papers, notebooks, and college textbooks for purchase.  Alexander had already browsed through the library area, seeing some of his favorite books and series such as Dracula, Harry Potter, the Inheritance Cycle, and his all-time favorite, Edgar Allen Poe’s classics collection. He had spent hundreds of hours in the Laurens’ library, reading away the sleepless nights, and running away to characters who he could relate with.  Characters who found their soulmates and could live a life of happiness until death.

 

The library was painted a cool grey, blue undertones warmed by the many windows that let the sun shine through.  It took up the first three levels of the student center, having the cafeteria take up the levels four through six above it.  After that, the floors were game centered areas with pool tables and bars set up, with couches and lounge chairs for studying and small chat.  As Alexander passed through the aisles, he couldn’t help but admire the crisp ancient smell of the books as he walked by them. With every new year and a new addition to the library, the first books became refined.  Much like wine, their texts, scent, and morals grew better with age.

 

Alex felt a soft buzz come from the back of his pocket, he didn’t remember leaving his ringer on, but it didn’t matter now seeing as he wasn’t in a rush.  He opened the text to see John holding one of Alexander’s favorite novels, the Southern Carolinian nearly kissing the book as he stared into the camera. The text below said ‘miss you already’ with far too many hearts for Alexander’s taste.  If anyone hadn’t known them, they would have assumed they were soulmates, but alas, John was just Alexander’s closest friend. Alexander replied with a short ‘get back to work’ and went on with his errands. Not a second too late too, for when Alexander looked up, he found he was in the exact section he needed to find.  With his right hand outstretched to hold onto the bookshelf, he swung himself into the section.

 

Alexander admired the fact that everything was organized to perfection.  Topic, author’s last name, and date of publication were the three main categories Alex could see, and he marveled in how easy it was to find exactly what he needed.  Being a minor organization freak such as himself, the system put some of his college anxiety at ease. After about a minute of solitude, Alex noticed a man walk into the section he was in.  Despite not wanting to, Alexander couldn’t help but stare at the strange figure.

 

He was a tall man, at least six feet, maybe even taller.  The man was a strong build, yet his torso curved in at his hips much like a feminine build.  The man was masculine, that was clear, but Alex couldn’t help but chuckle at the way his hips seemed to show in his shirt.  Said shirt was a pale sky blue, made with a fabric in which Alexander could tell made the cost more than triple his own clothing.  He wore the top two buttons of his shirt undone, for what Alex could tell was for comfort rather than looks. Unlike Alex, the man was wearing a suit jacket as well as slacks and a dress shirt.  The suit was a dark black, a much deeper, saturated color than Hamilton’s pants, and to tie it all off, the man’s pocket held a small sky blue pocket square, perfectly folded and set in place.

 

His pants were a similar color, sheer black as if he had just come back from a church event.  The shoes were a dark silvery almost black, with a matte coating rather than a shiny finish. He had a silver chain wrapped around his neck, seeing as it was the only chain, Alex presumed it was his pendant’s chain.  While Alex had a black book bag, this other man had a grey and black backpack slung over one shoulder. It made Alexander chuckle, the man had a finely pressed suit, but had a school bag that reminded Alex more of a senior’s bag in high school than a law students.  Then again, not everyone cared about appearance down to a tee such as Alexander. The man was dressed quite nice, Alexander couldn’t deny it, and the man’s face accentuated only added to his appeal.

 

Alexander had a smaller face, more pointed, but this stranger had quite the opposite.  His face was larger, it was as if a sculptor had chiseled away the imperfections but still yet the strong features.  He had a strong jaw, the line where it connected to his neck was quite pronounced, but not to the point of it being overbearing or attractive.  The man held a determined look on his face, mixed with the hopeless curiosities that burned in his mind. A blank smile laid upon his lips as if he hadn’t a care in the world.  The man’s skin was a paler, pinker version of Alexander’s as if the ivory base tone that his skin held was tinted with almond colored off white rose petals, the kind that gave way to a beautiful tannish pink at the tips.   It was clear, rather than being like Alexander and having his skin be tanned by the constant Caribbean sun, his skin was from a white of hardly seeing the sun, but when he did, it was for countless hours at a time. His eyebrows were turned upwards, making his eyes more open and pronounced.  They were oval shaped, slightly pointed at edges, but by no means small. Alex had an eye color that was rare, sure, but he had never seen someone who had two eye colors combined as the man had. He didn’t have heterochromia, he just had blue and brown blended perfectly, with three bands around his pupil.  There was a deep hazel brown that covered the pupil, but it quickly blended into another band of a dark greenish grey, after that, there was a crystal clear blue ring that blended from the grey band.

 

The stranger’s nose was pointed like Alexander’s, but it didn’t have the harsh uplift as he had, it was more pronounced, more formed.  His ears were a bit larger than average, but they weren’t completely noticeable, though Alex did see that he had a Darwin ear in his left side.  The man didn’t have any freckles, unlike Alex, who seems to have them in every nook and cranny on his body. Alexander wouldn’t have thought anything of it except for the fact that the man had a head full of very prominent red hair.  It wasn’t a deep red like Alexander’s, more like the color of the morning sun, a soft orange, or that of a vibrant flame. The locks were straight at first but began to curl around his shoulders, mimicking the way flames licked the open air before fizzling out of existence.  Like Alexander’s hair, the man had his hair pulled up, but it seemed like it wasn’t tied quite well enough, for segments seemed to fall out of the ponytail and onto his face. Occasionally and subconsciously, the stranger tucked away from the hairs behind his ear.

 

Alexander’s interest in the man faded quickly, after all, he had no ties to them, and despite how attractive they were, if they weren’t his soulmate, it wouldn’t matter.  Then again, his soulmate didn’t seem to care, if they had, they would have thought about him more often. The book Alex was looking for was just about eye level, he went to reach for it, his hand caught something else.  There before him was the hand of that stranger, and at that moment, their hands were on top of each other, interlocked in the slightest way.

 

The stranger looked up at him, then, to Alexander’s surprise, just stared.  Those wise wide eyes widened even more as the stranger took in every aspect of Alexander.  Sure he had been staring a minute before, but the man hadn’t noticed. This time, they just stared at each other.  At first, Alexander expected him to take one look then scoff and move on. Yet this man, he stayed, and from the look in his eyes, Alexander could tell that he was admiring him.  Still, the air was getting stagnant, and he was sure that the stranger hadn’t even realized he was staring.

 

“Might I ask why you’ve been looking at me for the past two minutes?”

 

The man snapped out of his trance-like state, only to be at a loss for words when Alexander called him out.  Alexander was used to leaving his debate partners speechless and unable to form a solid reason against him, but this was just awkward.  Alex noticed that the man, mouth gaping wide, had a twitch in his right eye when he was stuttering and nervous. Alexander chuckle and sighed, he would have to speak again for this conversation to go any further.

 

“Look, don’t worry.  I didn’t mean to catch you off guard there, it’s just…No one really checks me out the way you just did.  It’s usually just a quick look followed by a disgusted stare.”

 

Alexander imagined that the stranger would leave after that.  After all, no one had ever been caught staring at him for no reason.  Usually, it’s because Alexander had done something stupid, but as of then, he had done nothing of the sort.  Perhaps there was a first for everything, and that this was the first time that Alex had been admired without having to fight with his words first.

 

“Pardon my confusion sir, but how can it be that a man as handsome as yourself is lost in this desolate world without a passing glance of awe or recognition.  The name is Thomas, Thomas Jefferson. And you are?”

 

Alex was right, the man had been admiring him.  Well, he had a name, Thomas. The name was soft and sweet, rolled off the tongue, he could think of hundreds of best friend nicknames that could be given to the name Thomas Jefferson.  The man was hospitable, and Alexander figures it was best to continue the friendly banter now that the dead air had been removed.

 

“Hamilton.  Alexander Hamilton at your service.  And to answer your question, I have no idea of what you mean, not even my soulmate seems to care about me.  So in a way, I’ve grown to be accustomed to the solidarity.”

 

Alex knew that he spoke too much the moment he started to talk about his soulmate.  It was his own business, and he shouldn’t have shared it with some random stranger. Thomas couldn’t change how much his soulmate thought about him, so what was the point of blurting it out?  Alexander thought Thomas would drop the subject, but he was persistent and continued anyway.

 

“I myself have not been particularly kind to my soulmate.  I was taught not to show a longing for something so far away at a young age.  But that doesn’t mean I do not care and love my soulmate dearly. I love them with all my heart, and now that I’m able to finally set my heart free, I’m going to make up for the years of silence.  Alexander, your soulmate is a wonderful person, and they could be like me… they could just be waiting until the time was right to finally speak and show that they’re ready. I love my soulmate, and I’m positive that your soulmate will love you too.”

 

Alex scoffed, Thomas didn’t know his story, he didn’t know how little his soulmate thought of him.  Even if his soulmate was like Thomas and was taught not to think about him, it didn’t help the doubt and lack of reaction that Alex needed growing up.  Just a simple glow would help him get through the nine months of the year on Nevis when he was treated like dirt from every adult and peer while he struggled to make ends meet.  He could have lived in an orphanage, but he knew early on that it was better to live on his own and earn his own living. There were times when just a pale glow, just a sign that his soulmate was there for him, would have been everything.  But no, there was no sign, no glow, nothing, until now. For as soon as Thomas finished his speech, Alex felt a flood of warmth as he saw the soft glow beneath his chest. At that moment, Alex felt as if he could hear his soulmate’s voice humming into his head, reassuring him for every missed moment in those years prior.  At that moment, Alex felt the bond between him and his soulmate. At that moment, he knew that everything was going to be alright.

 

“You know Thomas, I think your right.  I think my soulmate was just waiting for the right time.”

 

He felt the soft glow die away, but the resonance of the glow and warm feeling stayed with him far longer.  Alex looked into Thomas’s eyes, feeling a slight indescribable tug between them. There was just so much about him that gave off a charismatic gentlemen vibe, and Alexander reveled in it.  He wished he could stay longer, but as soon as he tried to say something, John’s loud voice echoed across the levels of the library. If there was ever a moment where Alex wished John held his tongue for once, this was it.

 

“I’m sorry Thomas, I have to go.  But, I do hope I see you again, and sometime soon at that.  See you around?”

 

Alex heard John call out to him once more, and rather than getting on the Librarian's bad side day one, he opted out of the conversation.  Growing slightly red as he realized he didn’t give Thomas time to speak. Yet out of the corner of his eye, Alex could see Thomas smiling, and whispering his reply, regardless if Alexander could hear him or not.  The smaller redhead smiled, for he had heard Thomas’s call, and for some strange reason, it filled him with more joy than he could understand why.

 

_**—•—** _

 

“So Alex, who was that guy you were talking to?  He was looking sharp in that lazy Sunday suit style.”

 

John was many things, but one thing Alexander knew he wasn’t was subtle.  Despite not wanting to pay attention to the Carolinian, Alex couldn’t help but feel a warm feeling run through his cheeks.  Sure the guy was cute and smart, and funny, and caring. But if it wasn’t his soulmate, then it meant nothing, and Thomas spoke with such care Alex feared his soulmate would never possess for him.

 

“Just some random guy.  He reached for the same book I did, so I assume he’s also in government with me.”

 

John nearly squealed, making Alex almost throw his computer in shock.

 

“Awwwww, did you guys do the romantic ‘hands bump into each other while reaching for the same book’ clique.  Come on, tell me you did, tell me.”

 

Alex nearly strangled the blonde right where he stood, or better yet laid, as Alex was sitting in his desk typing away and John was sprawled out on his bed.  Alex could see him pretending to make out with his pillow while he worked, a method of distraction John often used during the summer, and an effective one too.  Alex weighed his options and found he would be better off if he told his meeting with Thomas, rather than sleep with the aftermath of John’s one on one session with his pillow.  

 

“Actually yes, I was reaching for my Gov. book, and he went for the same one.  His hand went onto mine and then we kinda just stared at each other, he was awkward at first, then this air of authority fell over him.  But not like a bad type of authority, but like the admirable type, someone who could hold their own in life and not need someone else to guide them.”

 

John dropped the pillow and seamlessly rolled off the bed.  Without falling, he reached over and grabbed onto Alex as he desperately tried to save his laptop from falling over.

 

“That’s adorable Alex!  Oh I hope I get to meet him, what was his name tell me his name.”

 

Alexander sighed, John acted like a new puppy sometimes, not caring for personal space or work ethic.  Often choosing to bother Alex over choosing boredom by himself.

 

“I’m sure you’ll see him again.  His name is Thomas, and expect since we were both reaching for one of the constitutional law textbooks, I imagine he’s going to be in Law school.  Which means he’s going to be in the dormitory if he’s on campus. All the freshmen stay here, even most sophomores. So we’ll probably see him in the game areas, or the library.”

 

Alex checked the time on his phone, seeing as he most likely wouldn’t have dinner anytime soon if at all, his mind drifted to the idea of a shower.  The drive up had been a long one, and John insisted on staying in the car and only stopping for gas, which made it so Alex hadn’t had any sleep or showered in over a day.  Needless to say, he wanted to relax.

 

“John you can do whatever you want but just don’t screw with my roommate’s stuff.  I’m going to take a shower, so have at it.”

 

Alex grabbed a towel from his suitcase and tossed it over his shoulder, taking with him a brush and a few extra hair ties.  He turned into the shower, turned on the water, and let the nearly boiling water wash away his daily woes. Alex had always liked hot showers, but it never occurred to him just how hot he liked them until John nearly burned his hand trying to turn it off.  Perhaps it was the fact that Alex was used to it, but nonetheless, John had his hand bandaged for the next few days. It didn’t take long for his hair to get wet, despite having hair on the thicker side. With his fire red hair now a true blood red from the water, he took a small but hefty amount of shampoo and ran it through his scalp.  There was something wonderful about the heat and the rich dark oak smell that spread around him as he worked his hair. The way the suds slowly traveled further down his hair, taking with them the dirt and grime of the day. Having long hair meant that he had to condition it as well, finding the thicker hair solution a bit too oily for his tastes, but it kept the curl in his hair bouncing while taming the frizz.  Alex felt a bead of sweat fall into his eyes, reminding him that he still needed to wash the rest of his body. Grabbing his body wash, Alex worked the rest of the previous day’s remnants away, spending extra time on his face.

 

When all was said and done, Alexander stepped out, talking two towels, one wrapped around his waist, the other around his head.  What Alex planned to do, was to grab a shirt and pants, and change back in the bathroom, also grabbing his brush in the process. What Alex wasn’t prepared for, was to find not only John in the room but a familiar tall redhead as well.  All Alexander could do was panic as the man he had just met, and had just been talking about with John, now saw him half naked.

 

“Alexander?”

 

“Thomas!?”

 

Alexander’s heart raced, there was no denying the way he felt right now, sheer embarrassment.  Why was he here? Of all the times to come to Alexander’s dorm, this was the time Thomas chose.  Thomas was the first to snap out of the haze, he quickly turned out, breaking the awkward eye contact.

 

“Thomas, why the hell are you here?”

 

“I came back to my dorm, that’s why.  Alexander, why are you half naked?”

 

“I came back to my dorm to shower, that’s why.”

 

They both paused, and it had finally clicked in their heads.  Though they had already met in the library, that is not the first roommate impression either of them would have wanted.  Alex was the first to speak.

 

“So you’re my roommate.”

 

Thomas, who was still turned around, sighed woefully.

 

“It would appear so.”

 

Alexander let out a shaky breath, he quickly grabbed a clean shirt from his closet.  Throwing it on, he then quickly grabbed a pair of boxers and basketball shorts, comfort dorm clothes.  He ran into the bathroom, quickly changed, and then walked out just as embarrassed as before, only now slightly more covered.

 

“There Thomas.  You can look now.”

 

The redhead turned, taking in a view of everything Alex was, and then back to his eyes.  

 

“Well, I believe I should formally introduce myself, hello I’m Thomas, your dorm mate.”

 

Alex chuckled at the strange formality but went along with the flow.  

 

“Hello good sir, my name is Alexander, and I happy to know that you are my roommate.”

 

John giggled at the two, then quickly stopped.  Noticing something Alex didn’t, he quickly looked at the small indentation that Thomas’s pendant left behind his shirt, it was the exact size the piece Alexander’s pendant needed to be completed.  Before he could relay any of the news, he heard a man go into his own dorm. Alex heard the sound too and spoke up.

 

“John, go see who it is and if it’s your roommate then bring him over.”

 

Thomas huffed a small hearty laugh, whipping his hand over his hair to brush the hair away, he spoke up.

 

“I already know who John’s roommate is, I helped him move in.  Lafayette! Get in here.”

 

A tall man, not as tall as Thomas, but still large, walked into the room.  His eyes locked with John’s then there was a moment. Thomas would have called it nothing, but Alex knew John well.  He knew that the way they locked into each other, how their eyes meet and didn’t leave each other’s own set. Alex could almost laugh, he had heard about something like it before, but the thought was strange.  The bond was between soulmates, and at first sight, the way they locked on and a spark caught fire was all natural in terms of that bond. But Alex didn’t want to get up either of their hopes, so he kept his observation to himself.  

 

“Hello my friend, it would appear as if you have stolen my breath away.  My name is Lafayette, and as I heard Thomas calling, it would appear as if I’m your roommate.”

 

John blushed slightly, took his breath away?  It was impossible, John never, ‘stole the breath’ out of anyone.  Why did this man think otherwise? The only other person who he might take their breath away would be his soulmate, but that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.  Still, John couldn’t help but think about his soulmate when he thought and talked with Lafayette. No sooner than that, a cool grey emitted from Lafayette’s shirt. The light was beautiful, but now John questioned if it was for him.

 

“Yes Monsieur, you are my roommate, and as I stand up here with you before me, I can’t help but feel as if you are something, more than just that.”

 

When Lafayette gave a perplexed look, John pulled out his pendant, the bent, sharp, jagged white metal, tinted with a pale yellow shine.  John spoke again.

 

“When I thought of you, or of my soulmate, your pendant began to glow.  So, I have reason to believe that you might be the missing puzzle piece in my life.”

 

Lafayette finally caught onto John’s hidden question and took out his own pendant.  It was a swirling mass of greys, curving and darting across the metal surface, small hills and valleys covered the pendant as it swirled in in itself.  Nearly black as night bottoms swished and curled into lighter colors, warm greys mixing in with cooler tones. From the bottom of the pendant sprouted a pale yellow and jagged spike, the place where the two pieces would align.  Alexander instantly recognized the shape to be that of a thunderstorm, with the largest cloud beginning to just strike a bolt. And in a moment later, Alex realized that John’s pendant was the lightning bolt that the monstrous thundercloud erupted.  After a moment of hesitation, John reached out to touch the pendant, feeling the metal warm up in his hand as well as glow the more he looked at it.

 

“I always wondered what my pendant was, now I know it was, in fact, a bolt of lightning.”

 

He pulled out his own necklace, feeling his own pendant grow in heat as he grew closer to his soulmate.  The bent and distorted bolt glowed ever so slightly, showing that Lafayette was testing if it was to be true or not.  John took off the necklace, sliding the pendant off of its string, and with a soft click, locked it into place with his other half.

 

No one spoke as the pendants glowed in unison, it was settled.  John and Lafayette stared at each other, John’s grey-blue eyes melting into the eyes of his soulmate.  Laf’s smile grew just as wide as John’s. John was everything Laf wanted in a soulmate, resolute, strong, resourceful, sweet, everything he could think of.  Lafayette was astonishing, he was tall, a strong build, he held a sense of dignity. Laurens almost turned a tomato color just thinking about Lafayette.

 

“All my life I have been wondering when I would find you, and still, John, I never imagined I’d meet you so soon, and that you would be as brilliant as you are.”

 

John chuckled, growing closer to Lafayette, there was so much they didn’t know about each other, but through their bond, it seemed as if they knew each other all their lives.  Alex was the first to speak after the silence.

 

“What are you two still doing here?  Get out of here, go on a date. Get to know your second half, and explore the experience!”

 

John shrugged, he turned to Lafayette.  What was the worst that could happen? With a silent agreement and a head nod, the pair went out, smiles bright and eyes wide.  Still, John remembered what he saw and made a mental note to tell Alexander about it later.

 

_**—•—** _

 

“So you’ve known Alex since he was six?”

 

Lafayette twisted his plastic fork around, waving it around as he spoke.  John held back a laugh as Laf nearly dropped a piece of steak into his lap, but caught it mid-fall, stealthily slipping it into his mouth when he thought John was looking.  They had only been on their date for a little over an hour, having both gotten street tacos and were sitting in the park, watching the clouds pass by as they had their picnic.  They had picked a spot on a hill, with two large stones sitting side by side, like dry life rafts against the dew smitten grass. They sat watching other couples sit and talk the day way.  There was a pond, a small body of water that had a small river run into it, the river seemed to be natural, but had stones at the base that made it seem too perfect to look true. Children ran and jumped across the buildings.  All the while, John and Lafayette were figuring out just about anything they could about who their other half was.

 

“Yeah, we were on a trip to the Caribbean, for a summer vacation.  We walked into a shop and there was little Alexander, in scrappy clothes and dirt all over his face.  This was a few years after I had been pen-palling him. It started when we were six, but it wasn’t until we were 14 that we met.  I had just started eighth grade, but Alex was already in charge of running a store, helping with cataloging the items and stock. He was a wild child then, often getting himself into all sorts of trouble.  I had already known of Alexander’s situation, but I never knew what it was like to be in his position. My family offered to board him every summer since they and Alex were too old to be considered for out of country adoption.  But we made it work. He got summer jobs, and we hung out as best friends did. He became a brother to me and another son to my parents, often paying for his trips to and from South Carolina. He was in an adoption home, but spent most of his days and nights at the library and store, what little education he received, he made up for it by his street smarts and studying.  Alex passed the entrance exam to get in here with flying colors, and honestly. As a man with only a green card as his claim to American fame, he seems to embody the American Dream. I imagine that as soon as his years are up, he’ll take the test and become a citizen.”

 

John huffed, his and Alexander’s life weren’t ones he talked about gently, but Lafayette was different, he was John’s soulmate.  So there had to be some lead way. Lafayette processed everything, taking it in and beginning his part of the story.

 

“I met Thomas a similar way, his parents were visiting from the states and were in my home town.  Me having a sort of broken English at the time meant that Thomas at the ripe age of seven had to remember how to speak a language, or at least keep up with my constant jabberings.  His parents were business partners with my parents, so staying at our house was nothing new. But. One day, Thomas asked why he had to wear his pendant. See, Thomas, he has had a rough life.  Ever since a...friend...of his was born, they were set up for an arranged marriage. He was never told about his soulmate, or what his pendant was. And since he was homeschooled, he never heard from other kids.  When I told him what it was, he spends days praying to the stars above that his soulmate would deliver him from the marriage. Those pleas only left Thomas’s father to rip off the necklace and store it away, effectively slicing and sealing away any of Thomas’s dreams of being a free man.  He was never quite the same after that, he only just got the pendant back, and he’s been thinking of his love ever since. It’s painful to see. If Thomas thinks about his soulmate, their pendant won’t appear to glow. it’s only if he speaks of his praise aloud, or thinks about it without an ounce of his mind on anything else.  So he’s probably only ever made his soulmate’s pendant glow one or two times.”

 

John was about to talk a sip of water but stopped with his cup floating just barely away from his lips.  Alexander had told him that his pendant had only glow three times, today being the most recent one in years.  Adding to the fact that John could see the small indentation of Thomas’s shirt. John knew he had a feeling of something, but he wasn’t about to get his hopes up.

 

“It’s very interesting, Alexander’s life aligns quite well with Thomas’s.  It’s a shame that he’s in that marriage, well, not really, seeing as he was arranged with his soulmate most likely.”

 

John waited for Lafayette to take the bait, to leak a critical part of Thomas’s life out without a second thought.  Had he found his soulmate? John knew he was playing with fire, playing matchmaker, forcing people to learn they’re soulmates, not letting them bond and learn on their own, it wasn’t illegal, but it was extremely frowned upon.  He needed to know, needed to see if it was worth even trying. Thankfully, Lafayette was happy to give out just the information John needed.

 

“Oh no, Martha wasn’t Thomas’s soulmate, it was an arrangement strictly at the fact that the two families needed to combine businesses.  Thomas high tailed it out of there just a few days ago, had secretly applied for the college and everything. No, Thomas doesn’t know who his soulmate is, but he’s been talking a lot about them nowadays, saying he has this feeling.  That they’re ‘just a hair’s breadth away,’ or ‘My pendant’s been heating up like crazy.’ Thomas could be dramatic though, he hasn’t felt the heat fluctuations like we have.”

 

Lafayette reached to hold John’s hand, and the blonde willingly accepted it, setting his cup down, he used his free hand to tilt up Lafayette’s cheek.  They stared for a moment, stars in their eyes.

 

“Those heat spurts don’t compare to the warmth I felt the moment I met you Lafayette.”

 

And before the Frenchmen knew what hit him, John sealed the distance between them with a kiss.  It was soft, tender at first. They’re lips barely brushing, a tempting dance to see which one would back out or move in first.  Laf’s hand reaches around to hold John’s waist, sneaking into the kiss ever so slightly. John’s lips tasted of mint, with a light layer of a waxy film laying of his bright red smile.  The Carolinian was wearing chapstick, and it made Lafayette giggle mid-kiss. The other had a taste of powerful cinnamon, kicks of peppermint mixed into the sweet scent of the spice. Lafayette must have had a breath mint, candy, or some gum before they ate.  What else could have spurred on such a strong taste, especially one that far from detoured John of his goal to outlandishly love and adore his soulmate in every possible way. With his hand still on Laf’s chin, John felt around the are, he was surprised to find a rough five o’clock shadow of a golden auburn hair color.  

 

“Don’t tell me you’re a redhead too.”

 

Lafayette opened his eyes after the kiss ended, love drawing his eyelids low, a mesmerizing sight to John’s protective mannerisms.

 

“No, I dye my hair, but I could keep it red for you darling.”

 

John chuckled, the last thing he wanted was to be the only non-ginger in their group.

 

“No please, keep the grey silver hair, the cut and color look lovely.”

 

John moved in closer, letting his head fall onto Lafayette’s chest, the sight was very domesticated.  The slow rise and fall were grounding to John, keeping him in reality. He had found his soulmate, and they worked so well together.  Still, the thought of Alexander’s relations to Thomas baffled him.

 

“Lafayette?”

 

The Frenchmen looked down to see John’s upside down eyes staring into his.  

 

“Yes, love?”

 

“Well, it’s just I’ve been thinking.  A lot of Alexander’s life correlates to Thomas’s, especially their soulmate affairs.”

 

Laf chuckled, brushing away a stray strand of hair.

 

“Yes I know, you’ve said that before, but I can tell that you have something else in your mind.  What is it?”

 

John took a look at Laf’s pendants, the whirling storm cloud that bonded with his bolt of lightning.  It made him wounded what Thomas’s necklace as like.

 

“It’s just, what if they are each other’s soulmates?”

 

In an instant, Lafayette knew why John was persistent about talking about the two men, Alex and Thomas.  In a way, his idea made sense, they weren’t by any means. In fact, there was a lot of truth to what John suggested.

 

“You have a point, but then again, I don’t know.  From what I can tell, they get along quite well. In the end, it’s the pendants that prove a claim to soulmateship.  Besides, Thomas’s pendant isn’t a normal one, his doesn’t click in one place but rather is set into his soulmate’s. So if Alexander’s is like ours, he’s not Thomas’s soulmate.”

 

Lafayette watched as John’s eyes grew wide.  In a moment’s notice, John leaped up and dove into Laf’s chest. Dragging the Frenchmen into a messy but passionate kiss.  It was quick, loving, and full of emotions.

 

“Lafayette you’re a genius!  You know what Thomas’s pendant looks like, and I know what Alexander’s pendant looks like, we can know for sure.  And if they do, then we can slowly drop hints, until they realize it’s each other on their own.”

 

Lafayette was hesitant, did he want to share something so personal to someone?  Yes, John was his soulmate, but to Thomas John really wants anyone he knew yet. Though, Laf expected that over the next few weeks, as roommates and friends, they would grow closer.  John seems rather hasty at the idea of pairing up the two. Perhaps it was due to something that he saw between them that Lafayette didn’t. There was something there, Lafayette could tell the moment he walked in and saw the two of them together that they were connected in some way.  But was it by pendant? Or was it just his imagination? Whatever it was, John’s persistence made him jump on board with the plan.

 

“Thomas’s pendant is a teal colored diamond, it has a completely smooth side, without a scratch on it.  The second side is rough, with an intricate carving pattern, the entire side is what clicks into his soulmate’s pendant.  Oh! And on the inside, there’s a silver hibiscus flower.”

 

John stood there for a moment, trying to remember every detail in Alexander’s necklace.  When he believed he had every detail, he spoke once more.

 

“Alexander’s is a disc shape and is a dark silver in color.  The top part has a carving of a woodland plains type deal, similar to that of South Carolina, but slightly different topography.  Maybe still the south, with its birches and aspens. The bottom half holds a storming sea, most likely from his island him on Nevis.  The final thing of importance is that in the center, there is a carved out section, perfectly made to fit a large gemstone front and center.”

 

Both stood there in silence, it was more than just a coincidence, Thomas’s and Alexander’s lives had to be interwoven in some form.  From the way they bounced off each other in conversation, the way they looked at each other the way no one else did. Lafayette had heard of Thomas talking about what his soulmate would be like, and now, he saw no better person to be Thomas’s than Alexander.

 

“It has to be them then, right?  Who else could it be?”

 

John nodded at Laf’s words, taking the last bite of his taco then he began to pack up.  They were sitting on rocks, so no blankets were used. Quite honestly, they could leave the park in a minute if they wished to.  After seeing Laf slip on his jacket, John got the memo that they were leaving.

 

“Where are we going?”

 

Lafayette’s platinum hair shone like snow in the sun’s rays.  He smiled, and for a second, John’s heart melted.

 

“We’re going back to our dorms.  I promised Thomas I’d go to dinner with him, not knowing I’d meet my soulmate.  That’s why I ate light, and you did as well so that’s good. We can go later tonight.  And from there was can see if our theories are correct. I’ll get a true idea of how compatible the two are.”  

 

The two sat up and headed out.  As they walked around the park’s perimeter they shared more stories of their past.  Yet with every passing moment, the question on both of their minds burned deep. Is it that Thomas and Alex are each other’s soulmates?  There was always doubt, disbelief, but even then, the similarities between Alexander and Thomas were undeniable. Retracing their steps, the pair made their way past the park’s entrance and past the outskirts of the college until they finally made it to their dorms.  The climb up the stairs was quick but tiresome, being as the elevators were packed. When John had gotten up to their hall first, he noticed that the door to Alexander’s room was propped open ever so slightly. He took the opportunity to go in and skip having to put in his card.  When Lafayette was behind John, he opened the door, and what they found was not what they expected. Standing in the middle of the room, was Thomas and Alexander, in each other’s arms, and deep into a loving, passionate first kiss.

 

_**—•—** _

 

Alexander sat in his bed, tucked against the wall, and holding his pendant in his hands.  His calloused fingers crossed over the etch marks, tracing the familiar tree line by memory.  He watched as the sun caught the disc in slits due to the way the curtains fell. The simple shutters left scattered bar lines on his bed, warming up the covers in a way that made the bed seem like a safe place to give his soulmate some attention.  Being mindful of what Thomas said about his own soulmate and their troubles, Alexander thought it’d be best not to taunt him with affection that Thomas was never able to receive. Said man was across the room, sitting in his desk, working on a paper with his back turned to Alexander.  Running his thumb in and out of the harshly cut center, Alexander poured his heart out. Collecting every positive emotion he could think of, joy, humor, trust, Alexander thought of everything. Taking his emotions, he thought of his soulmate, whoever theymay be. He thought of them holding each other, compassion embedded in every word to each other.  For a few more minutes, he gave his soulmate the attention he deserved, not expecting anything in return. But when Alexander thought the interaction was done, he soon felt his own metal heat up, and with it, a soft blue glow begin to emit from his silver pendant. The feeling of joy and comfort ran over him, his soulmate had responded to him twice that day, it was truly a miracle he thought.  Yet something was off, usually, his pendant didn’t heat up when it did glow. Could it be that they were finally within an area where they could talk? Alexander looked at his pendant, then in his mind, spoke a soft and emotional sentence through his soulmate’s bond, not knowing if he would get an answer.

 

_Can you hear me?_

 

No response.  Of course, Alexander thought, it was one thing for his soulmate to think of him, it was another to be within meeting distance.  Alexander was about to put away his pendant, but something made him stop. In a simple, fluid response, without any tone or pitch, one word ran through his mind.  It was a thought so foreign he knew it couldn’t be his own.

 

_Yes._

 

Alexander began to panic.  He was talking to his soulmate, something he couldn’t even dream of.  The day had been so hectic, the last thing he wanted to do was stress his soulmate out with seeming off.  Or somehow send over his panic and make them believe that something was wrong. Taking a deep, quiet breath, he spoke again, silently into his mind.

 

_It’s you.  I mean, after all these years, it’s finally you._

 

The response time was slow, but Alexander accounted for the shock factor that he was facing and presumed the same for his soulmate.  Alex went back to tracing the lines and marks, stopping when he heard the voice in his head once more.

 

_It would appear so, and to whomever I am speaking too, I promise you this.  I’ll make up for the years of silence._

 

Alexander froze, something was off about the last phrase.  He had heard it quite recently, though he couldn’t remember from where.  He thought of a quick reply so he could ponder who said that to him.

 

_I’m glad to hear it, or anything at all.  I always feared that you hadn’t a care in the world for me and that you truly didn’t think I was important._

 

It was short and sweet, telling his soulmate that though he didn’t like the silence, the relief was worthwhile.  The reply this time came quicker now as Alexander and his soulmate became more comfortable talking to each other.

 

_Yes, I understand I haven’t given you the recognition you deserve.  Trust me, when I finally meet you, I’ll tell you why I could not show you affection._

 

It seemed as if once again, Alex had heard something along the lines of what his soulmate was saying, but who said them continued to slip his mind.  Still, Alexander would rather brighten up their subject then continue on about why they weren’t the best couple.

 

_I understand, everyone has their reasons, but know this, when we finally meet, you’re paying me back for the years of no contact._

 

Alexander heard a soft chuckle, though it didn’t seem to come from his mind, but rather the still turned Thomas who had his back twisted at an odd angle as he stretched out.  Considering the fact that he must have thought of some joke, Alex carried in with his conversation.

 

_How about on our first date, sitting outside a cafe while we share life experiences?_

 

Alexander did like the sound of it, it was a cozy atmosphere, one they could both loosen up in.  Especially since it would be their first or second time meeting most likely.

 

_It sounds like a plan, though I hope you are okay with me buying crumb cake with my coffee._

 

Another strange chuckle broke the silence of the dorm room, Alexander wanted to ask what was so funny about sitting alone to himself, but Alec refrained.  He was talking to his own soulmate after all. Without a moment’s notice, the voice returned.

 

_I’m fine with that as long as I know what your style of drinking coffee is._

 

It was Alexander’s turn to make an audible chuckle, at least his soulmate had a playful sense of humor.  A second later, Alexander replied with a witty response.

 

[i] _I like my coffee as black as my soul._

 

Sure it was cliche, but it fit the moment and Alex wasn’t sorry for saying it.  Alexander’s pendant heated up slightly once more as soulmate responded

 

_My my, it seems as I’ve already fallen for you in a matter of minutes.  You must have a way with words, my dear._

 

It seemed that his soulmate was a wordsmith such as Alex was himself.  For in two simple sentences he had already made Alexander’s heart flutter.

 

_Oh yes, when we finally meet, I’ll tell you all about how my mouth got me in all sorts of trouble._

 

Alexander smiled, he was talking to the person who he was supposed to love more than anyone else in the world.  They had made his heart beat in a way that no one else had ever done before, and it filled Alexander with joy.

 

_Maybe you could tell me about it when we finally meet for our coffee date, though I can’t do tonight.  I have a previous engagement._

 

The response was a joking jester, but the last line caught him off guard, in a moment notice, he had a sneaking suspicion that he needed to know where his soulmate was going to be.

 

_And who do I owe the pleasure of taking away my soulmate?_

 

There was a pause, but in a more giddy tone them normal, the voice called out its response.

 

_No need for jealous my dear, it’s just that my dearest friend found his soulmate today, and I wish to ask him and his partner all about it._

 

There was something so impossibly important to what those words held, at first he didn’t realize it, but now, it was staring Alexander in the face.  From the formal mannerisms to the way this soulmate made him laugh, to the first time he had heard them speak. It all made sense. At that moment, nothing else mattered, for Alexander had found the final puzzle piece to the picture that he had been working on his entire life.  At that moment, Alexander knew who his soulmate was. In a voice so impossibly silent, Alexander whispered a name into their bond, hoping, praying that he was right.

 

_Thomas?_

 

There was a silence, just an overwhelming silence, both between the bond and in the room, not a sound could be heard.  Not even a breath, for both men had theirs held in, waiting to see the other’s reaction. Then, when Alexander fears that he had gotten the name wrong began to creep into his mind, a voice came into his head, one he recognized.  Without making a sound, a southern drawl began to chime inside his head, washing away every fear in his mind.

 

_Alexander?_

 

The smaller redhead looked up to find his eyes meeting Thomas’s.  The man who had previously been working hard at his paper sat in disbelief at what had just occurred.  His hand slipped and fell into his lap, revealing his pendant to Alexander. In unison, the two crept out of their hiding places and met each other in the middle of the room.  Stars shone in Alexander’s lilac indigo eyes as he stared at Thomas with an intensity so passionately and strong it felt foreign. Instinctively, Thomas’s hand slipped into Alexander’s hanging one, with their fingers slowly sliding into a locking position.  

 

Thomas’s eyes drifted down from Alex’s until they rested on the silver disc that lay on top of his chest.  It was brilliant, the Celtic knot that centered the piece had the deepest carvings and reminded Thomas of the marriage bond that the culture used to believe in.  On the top half was a picture of rolling hills and seasonal forests, a sight Thomas recognized as Virginia, specifically a hill that he would always climb. The bottom was a carved scene of an ocean, frozen in time at its most violent.  Taking his own pendant, he slipped it off the chain, holding the diamond in his hands.

 

“May I?”

 

Alexander nodded, and with a soft puff of air, the diamond slipped into the cut perfectly, with the silver pendant and the hibiscus flows in Thomas’s diamond shining the same color.  This was it, the moment that changed their lives forever. The moment Thomas and Alexander had truly met. The moment that their souls became one.

 

“It’s beautiful, Thomas, your pendant.”

 

In response, Thomas’s hands slid around Alexander’s waist and chin.  With one hand Thomas brought the two closer, with his other, he directed Alexander’s eyes to meet his.

 

“It’s not nearly as beautiful as you are my darlin’.”

 

And to both of their surprise, it was Alexander that took the final step, using his own hands, he wrapped his arms around Thomas’s shoulders.  The next moment, Alex leaned in ever so slightly. Their lips were only a hair’s breadth away, and soon enough, even that distance was closed. Alexander smiled all the while, the kiss bringing a flurry of emotions to his soul like no other.  But then again, who else could find a way into his soul than his soulmate himself? It didn't matter to Alex, because right then and there, nothing else mattered. He felt at peace and felt loved, and that's all that truly mattered to Alexander.

 


End file.
